The Census Bureau was out Tuesday with its annual look at holiday related statistics that you may or may not have known. So here goes:
Did You Know?
$19.4 billion
The estimated retail sales for the nation’s department stores in December 2018, a decrease of 4.3% from December of the previous year.
Source: Monthly Retail Trade Survey
18.2%
The estimated percentage of 2018 total jewelry store sales that occurred in December.
Source: Monthly Retail Trade Survey
Jewelry Store Sales
Total Sales
12.5%
The estimated percentage that December sales accounted for of total hobby, toy and game store sales in 2018.
Source: Monthly Retail Trade Survey
Hobby, toy and games store sales
Total Sales
$67.7 billion
The estimated value of retail sales by electronic shopping and mail-order houses in December 2018, the highest estimated total for any month last year. Source: Monthly Retail Trade Survey
$20.0 billion
The fourth quarter 2018 seasonally adjusted after-tax profits for retail trade corporations with assets of $50 million and over, down $3.4 billion from the third quarter of 2018. Source: Quarterly Financial Report
$1.9 billion
The value of U.S. imports of Christmas ornaments from China for 2018. China led the way with 92.7% of the U.S. total imports of Christmas ornaments.
Source: International Trade Statistics, Harmonized System Codes 9505.10 (Christmas ornaments)
www.census.gov/trade
https://usatrade.census.gov
$499.4 million
The value of U.S. imports of Christmas tree lights for 2018. China led the way with 76.0% of the total U.S. imports of Christmas tree lights.
Source: International Trade Statistics, Harmonized System Code 9405.30 (Lighting sets of any kind used for Christmas Trees)
www.census.gov/trade
https://usatrade.census.gov
557
The number of establishments nationwide that primarily produced dolls, toys and games in 2016, a decrease of 15 establishments from 2015 (572); they employed 6,311 workers in the pay period including March 12, a decrease of 83 employees from 2015 (6,394). California led the nation with 96 establishments. Source: 2016 County Business Patterns
$511.3 million
The value of U.S. imports of tapered candles in 2018. Most of these came from Vietnam, representing more than 43.1% of America’s imported tapered candles, followed by Canada with more than 19.0%.
Source: International Trade Statistics, Harmonized System Code 3406 (Candles, tapers, and the like)
www.census.gov/trade https://usatrade.census.gov
Holiday Names
There are many holiday-sounding places in the U.S. For example, more than a dozen places have Holly in their names, including Mount Holly, N.C. (population 16,135), and Holly Springs, Miss. (7,652). There’s also Snowflake, Ariz. (5,858); Santa Claus, Ind. (2,410); North Pole, Alaska (2,113); Noel, Mo. (1,833); and — if you know about reindeer — Dasher, Ga. (1,004), and Rudolph, Wis. (422). There is also Unity, Ore. (68).
Source: Vintage 2018 Population Estimates
